Breaking down barriers – Bettool Jabur

Bettool started her career in architecture with a very specific goal in mind.

“My dream was to own a yellow Lamborghini,” she says with a smile. “In school I had three different careers in mind that I thought could get me there, being an architect, a lawyer or a doctor.”

As Bettool progressed through her education journey, her ambitions and dreams changed, but her interest in architecture luckily stayed the same and at University that interest was cemented further.

“I gained a BSc Honours in Architecture Design & Technology. The degree program was managed and coordinated by a really forward thinking program director called Angela Lee. Amongst the core topics studied were BIM, 3D printing software and other related topics that were still considered modern technology and were not widely used within the architectural industry” Bettool explains. “So since the beginning of my architectural career, my work and ways of thinking has revolved around working in 3D.”

Within a short space of time Bettool worked on both large- and small-scale projects including stadium designs, educational set-ups and residential developments.

“The ability to work on large projects such as designing stadiums was one of my long-term ambitions, and I’m grateful to have gained this experience,” Bettool says. “I then went on to work in education projects and designed schools using modern technology that catered for the need of each school. Designing educational buildings, involved frequent site visits, that gave me the ability to get more insight into the project working from joiners’ and bricklayers’ perspectives.”

Following from her initial designing career, Bettool’s next challenge was teaching.

“Throughout my career, colleagues have sought out my advice and opinions, this in combination with my industrial work experience, led to a natural progression within my career, where I was promoted to a consultancy role”.

Bettool’s current role involves training, consultancy and BIM 360 & ACC business service development.

“Consultancy is what I enjoy the most, since you get more insight into clients’ needs and a better understanding on how we can help clients with their business,” she explains. “I try my best to break down barriers between different disciplines. To me, bringing success and value to partnerships with clients is all about creating a transparent platform, bringing people together on the same page, and providing workflows that assist with business processes and protocols.”

Value for a lifetime

Bettool thoroughly enjoys liaising with clients, although at times it maybe one of the most challenging aspects of her job.

“There are so many moving parts when it comes to software, plugins and features. The ability to be on the same page as the client is important as is the customer service that is received."

In her spare time, Bettool enjoys creative hobbies like art and calligraphy, and that creativity comes well into play when aligning with customers.

“With art, you are trying to translate something across to the people viewing it, and with the consultancy and teaching that I do at work it’s exactly the same,” she explains. “I need to make sure it’s simple and clear so that people can understand what I am trying to get across.”

In a world of software of ones and zeroes, Bettool still manages to have a very human perspective on the work that she does.

“In business we talk a lot about expertise and investments but we also need to make sure we are giving value to people. If we look at it that way, then we can always perform our best,” she explains. “This is people’s bread and butter, so we need to make sure we do a good job.”

This perspective seems to be a driving factor for Bettool’s thirst for knowledge as well.

“I think it’s important to understand, that you are not just providing value for each pound the customer spends on your services, but potentially you are providing value for a lifetime. So, when a customer asks something, I want to be able to answer every time!” she says.

“You are either successful, or you learn”

The best part about working at Symetri, for Bettool, is having the opportunity to explore new challenges and avenues.

“A couple of years ago our CEO Jens said something to me that really stuck with me: ‘You are either successful, or you learn’. There’s no negativity in that, and since that day I’ve taken that on-board in everything I do! It’s the best way to work,” she says, and continues “At Symetri, we are provided with the opportunity to investigate areas of interest and try and break the boundaries! We are not limited, or micromanaged and we are given the opportunity to work on projects that we are passionate about, and this only increases your thirst for knowledge. I think this approach is really important to let ideas and workflows flourish”

This, combined with colleagues with the same attitude and positive approach to work, are some of the most enjoyable things about working at Symetri according to Bettool.

“Being able to speak to people who are just as passionate as you is really great. Just a couple of times this week I’ve had conversations with people who are passionate about different topics, which results in re-energising the team!” she says. “If your work is fun, you enjoy your work”.